Charlotte Brass

Clubbing in Leeds, May 94

Julia Boxer - Well I am sorry that me and Sa are not in this photo, coz I remember this night very well. It was as a 'Ricky's special'!. A few months before our finals the four of us got all dolled up to go to the best student venue in Leeds.The drink flowed, the music rocked and a great night was always guaranteed. Cha had such style - even at age 20 her student room looked as if it should have been photographed for a designer magazine and she always looked so immaculate yet trendy and cool at the same time. This particular night the four of us danced away for hours and ended up at Izos (I think that was the name), one of Cha's fave places, the only eatery open 24 hours where they served the fattest chips with cheese and mayo... I think we stumbled home at around 6am!!!

Leeds, 94

Leeds University, Graduation Day, Summer 94

Chrysi P - Huge smiles all round on this very sunny day. A photo of Char and I on our graduation day.

 

Chelsea, Aug 94

Julia Boxer - I am not in this photo, but this was taken on one of mine and Debs’ last nights in US. Cha took us to a really cool bar near to where she and M lived. This picture was taken towards the end of the evening after a couple of drinks. I particularly remember this night as the night I got stuck in the (mens!) toilet for over half an hour while Cha and Debs nattered about life and things and I banged and kicked on the door praying for somewhere to hear me over the booming music! When I was eventually “rescued” I stumbled over to them, hot and bothered and somewhat shaky, and they looked up at me and said “oh hey Jules, where you been?” When I told them what happened, I remember Cha crying with laughing and saying, “I thought I heard a bit of a commotion over by the toilets!!”

Guggenheim Museum, Summer 94

Julia Boxer - Cha in her element - guiding me and Debs around the Guggenheim Museum, New York and showing off her deep knoweldge.

Greenwich Village, Summer 94 

Julia Boxer - This photo of Cha, Debbie and myself was taken one sunny Saturday afternoon in Chelsea, New York, July 1994. Debbie and I decided to take full advantage of Cha and Martin living in downtown Manhattan and planned a big trip round the States with NY being our base. Cha and M were very welcoming and let us stay for quite some time even though we cluttered up their small and usually very neat living area. One particularly funny memory I have is of the night before we left for our trip; C and M made us pull out all the unnecessary items from our rucksacks and leave them behind to be picked up on our way back a couple of months later. Boy, did we curse them when we arrived at our next stop without that particular pair of jeans and that particular jumper we were forced to leave behind!! xxx.

Chautauqua, NY, Summer 94

MRB - Although I wasn't there (that time) Charlotte spent time with her new friends Michael Gitlitz and Ingrid Abrash at Michael's parents house in Chautauqua NY.  As I remember it, it was in an artists community in upstate New York on the edge of the lake. Quite beautiful. I think that it really appealed to Charl.

I do remember driving up there the following summer in my Alfa and taking Michael for a spin (literally!).

Michael G -  I remember Ingrid and Charl visiting Chautauqua and simultaneously charming my parents senseless, “such bright, interesting young women,” and creating quite a buzz among the youth, “wow those chicks really know how to party.” I think that’s also when I learned new adjectives like ace, bril, fab, and faberoonie.

Ingrid A - I have so many memories of Charlotte it's difficult to parse them out, even with a photo of one particular time.  I think that when that photo was taken, Charlotte and I had just met (indeed, I think it could be from '94) at the Jewish Museum, where we were both working as interns, myself after college and she prior to her last year in school (could it even be '93?).  In any event, Charlotte was living at the 92nd St. Y at the time, and I remember going over to her room, well-lit, clean, but simple as Y rooms are, and she could not have been more thrilled to be in NY at the exact place.  She had just discovered a new fancy perfume, and was spraying it and dancing around the room.  That, I think, was my first inkling as to how energetic she was.  When we made the long-ish drive up to Chautauqua , the energy was simply non-stop. 

You know, this is the MOST FAB hot dog stand ever!!

Should we sing on the drive?  Even if we don't know the words to any songs?? 

Once there, I figured out that Charlotte was much braver than I, as she jumped on the waterskis right away, and even when she did a face plant, she was quickly bobbing in the water and smiling.  And I know this is weird to remember - but here goes - this women's energy for cleaning and straightening was endless.  We had to clean up before Michael's parents arrived (to treat us to a huge meal of bbq swordfish) and BOOM, Charlotte was on task and it was done.  Quite a unique trait, indeed!

New York, December 1995 

Kate Harshak - My earliest memory of Charl is when the Bergers used to drive up to Glasgow for Jewish holidays and join us at my grandma’s dinner table. Surrounded by an army of boy cousins, they came as my saviour: their arrival signalled my elevation from scapegoat to nanny. Joanna and I would carry the twins up and down the stairs, looking after them very importantly, as the boys rampaged through the house!

Fast forward through many wonderful memories of Glasgow and holidays in Nottingham to New York, December 1995. I arrived from Israel with two boys under three and a husband who was to disappear into the confines of Columbia Business School (only to return eighteen months later).  Once again Charl was there to save me. This time with my other cousin Martin at her side, she came out to Englewood and with our cousin Lin, made us laugh at the uptight, up-and-coming Jews who couldn’t bring themselves to acknowledge our presence around the pool. “Mr and Mrs Stinky” became a regular feature for our family both in New York and New Jersey…and Mr and Mrs Stinky they will stay. I am eternally grateful to her for being there and for bringing her smile and infectious laugh into our lives!

Central Park, NYC, Jan 95

Chrysi P - This is my favourite photo of Char and I. Char was living in NYC with Martin. I was over visiting her and Aurli. I remember this day so well. Frank Sinatra and other old swing tunes were playing while Char was skating and I was crawling round the ice-ring. It was a great New York day - crisp air and we were all snuggled up in winter woolies.

And there was a photo moment with the happy couple – Martin and Char. It was always great going to NYC and hanging out with Char and M. An amazing couple who are so in love and so proud of one another.
 
And later that day while walking down the street, C & M picked up another friend…

London, Jan 96

Julia Boxer - This lovely photo of Cha and Soph was taken at my Aliya party, January 1996. When I actually set the date for my leaving England, I remember getting a call from Cha who was full of support. She told me that she always knew that I would end up in Israel and that she was very happy that I was following my dream. Cha was one of the few people who really appreciated and understood the difficulties of moving abroad at a relatively young age and leaving close friends and family behind. And throughout all my years in Israel, she never stopped asking me how I was coping and continued to worry about me settling in!

Central Park, NYC, May 96

Jo Sadie - My first visit to Char and M in New York in May 96. Char was in one of her favourite places - Central Park, having just been to another - Bloomie's.

Aurli B - One frigid January winters day in January of 1996, Charlotte, Martin, Warren and I decided to take a 2-hour road trip to the Hamptons on the Eastern tip of Long Island with my little Jack Russell Terrier, Lupy. I remember we just felt like getting out of the city so we drove two hours until we arrived at the beach by which time the sun was beginning to set and the colors were slowly intensifying as the sun dipped lower and lower behind the horizon. Something about being on the beach at sunset in sub zero temperatures made us a bit giddy and we spent the next half hour running around jumping in the sand and finally settling down long enough to watch what I still maintain is the most intense sunset I have ever seen.  I often think about that day and that sunset and I picture Charlotte's glowing smile in my head. I am happy to say I shared one of the most amazing images I can recall with someone who has a smile and radiance to match. 

Uncle Nick's Restaurant, July 96

Aby Bernstein- I think about Charlotte so much and remember how lovely and warm she made me feel when I first moved to New York.  I knew very few people when I moved and it was so great to have some fellow Brits to show me around a bit.  I remember going to Uncle Nick’s (Greek restaurant), I think it was around 50th St and 10th Ave and being introduced to Greek food which I loved.  I think of Charlotte every time I pass that restaurant when I am down in NY.  The photo I have attached was from the summer of ’96 (I think), it was a great coffee shop on McDougal St in the village where I went a couple of times with Charlotte and my sister Laurie.

I have such lovely memories of Charlotte in New York and remember being so sad when I stopped by your Chelsea apartment as you were packing up to leave. 

Even though I only knew Charlotte for a couple of years, she made such an impact on me that I will never forget her.   I have been on the website many times and decided that I really wanted to get in touch, just to send my love and let you know that I feel very privileged to have known such a wonderful person.  I hope you and the boys are doing really well.

Lots of love,

Aby xx

California, Nov 96

USA Trip, Nov 96

MRB - In the winter of 1996 Charlotte and I left New York.  I had been there for nearly a decade, and Char just 3 years.  I think that whereas my time in New York was up, and I was happy to go, Char had not reached that point.  If I am to be honest, she wasn't ready to leave and made the sacrifice for me.  Nonetheless, we packed up our apartment at 250 W 19th street.  I remember selling all our furniture and stuff that we just didn't want to ship home. The proceeds were made to good use.  We took some friends out for a great meal at City Crab on Broadway - effectively we 'ate' our furniture. It was a feast. We had decided that we would fly to Thailand and spend a month or so there, but first we had to get to the west coast.

We drove across the USA in a driveaway (when you deliver someone else's car for them) BMW.  We headed south and drove west though Nashville.  The weather was some of the worst I have ever seen, let alone driven through.  I remember driving through a freezing rain storm. The car started to feel really heavy as layers of ice built up on it.  We stopped for gas and realised that we couldn't get out.  The car was completely covered in ice; like someone had dipped it in candy coating.

We drove to Santa Fe, where the food suddenly improved markedly. New Mexico was beautiful and the adobe colours were breathtaking.  I will always remember how quiet it seemed. 

By the time we reached Flagstaff, and the gateway to the Grand Canyon, we had travelled about 2000 miles.  We drove north to the south rim after a particularly heavy snow storm.  Most people would have waited a day, but for some reason I was stupid enough to drive.  Char white knuckled it the entire way to the Canyon. The next day we decided to walk the Bright Angel Trail.  It takes you about 2/3 the way to the Colorado River.  We were recommended not to go to the river and back in 1 day and we couldn't get accommodation at the bottom.  The trail was fantastic, and we hiked down at some speed.  We were amazed how the climate changed as we descended.  We completely missed the turning for the Bright Angel Trail and ended up at the bottom anyway where it was 70F.  Of course we managed to get back to the top and take in the correct trail, and returned to our cabin just as the sun went down, exhausted.

Our next destination was the Joshua Tree national park.  It is a wonderful desert which was hot even in mid winter.  We sat by a rock that looked just like a skull for hours, reading about South East Asia and the next leg of our trip back home. We were there Thanksgiving and ate a 'traditional' turkey dinner in a diner in 29 Palms.  I think the vegetables had been boiling since last Thanksgiving.

We drove through the desert to Los Angeles where we stayed with Elizabeth Cunningham, and then drove up the Pacific Coast Highway to San Francisco, stopping in on Ralph and Gunnela (Char's uncle and Aunt) in Santa Cruz. In SF we stayed with our friends Jesse and Heather Obstbaum (and their chihuahua) before we flew to Bangkok where we would meet up with Sophie who was returning from a year in Australia.

Bangkok, Nov 96

MRB - Charl and I left the USA in Nov 96 having had a great adventure when we drove across route 40 from east to west. We flew from San Francisco to Bangkok where we met up with Sophie who was working in Australia at the time. It was the first time the girls had seen each other in over a year.  We had arrived first, and had checked into our hotel somewhere on the Ko San Road.  It wasn’t exactly what I was expecting, but we got what we paid for. At least there was a fan in our room. Neither of us had been east before and it was really a culture shock. I think it was the first time I had ever been in a place where the alphabet as well as the language was completely unknown. We ventured out into Bangkok and despite the heat, noise and pollution, we both loved it.

Sophie arrived the next day. The excitement when the two of them met was palpable (and probably measurable on the Richter scale). Our trip had begun and I was about to start to understand what it meant to be a Berger twin.

We spent a few days exploring the city, the temples, the evening entertainments, the temples and especially the food (oh! and did I mention the temples). I don't think any of us had eaten food that was quite this hot before.

The language barrier was only a slight problem, we had our guide books and a phrase book and a few people spoke some English. I remember one evening we went to a restaurant that was a floating jetty on the Chao Praya River. It was about the fanciest place we had eaten so far. As we walked into the restaurant, the wake from passing longboats lapped at the wooden floor and caused the whole structure to gently move upon the waves. At the entrance was an incredible display of raw fish waiting to be cooked.  There were shrimps and langoustines the size of which I had never seen. My mouth was watering.

Chang Mai, Dec 96

MRB - We spent a week or so in Bangkok and decided to venture north to Chang Mai, where we would could visit some more temples and do some trekking. The next day was my birthday and even though our luggage was limited Charl still managed to procure all the necessary cards, gifts and treats to make my 32nd birthday very special. As I remember it, I had come down with flu and was pretty miserable. Charl and Soph looked after me and in the evening we all went out for dinner (I think it was a Thai restaurant!).

We went on a 3 day trip into the Jungle which started with a drive into the Jungle in the back of a pickup truck, which I thought at the time was the most uncomfortable ride I had ever taken. The truck took us down a mud track until the road could take us no further. We exited the pickup and our trek had begun.

We walked for what felt like miles, rode an elephant or two, rafted down a river, ate wild deer that had been traded from a local hunter, even had a run in with some leaches. We finally arrived at a small farming village that was famous for its poppies (another story).

There was no electricity or running water and they prided themselves in playing their regional musical instrument (I wish I knew its name). It was constructed of bamboo and cloth and looked like a cross between a mini bagpipe and a bong. It sounded awful, and we were treated to a concert for what felt like hours.

The final part of the trek was a trip to a waterfall in the middle of the jungle.  There is a separate story about this waterfall which resulted in me requiring stitches in my foot, but that again, is another story.I have many pictures of this trek, our guide, the paddy fields (with and without buffalo), the never-ending concert, elephants, even the shack we slept in and the waterfall that I fell out of. I only have one picture of Charl. It is a distant shot of her and Soph walking through the jungle chatting away. It was always a pleasure for me to see them together, enjoying each others company.

Koh Tao, Dec 96

MRB - Having survived our trek in the north (just... as far as I was concerned), we headed south to the islands and our eventual destination of Koh Tao where we hoped to spend the remainder of our trip and (weather and water permitting) do some diving..

We took a train from Bangkok to Chumphon. The train stopped about 45 minutes outside of Bangkok and sat there for an hour. There was a lot of commotion and after a while it was clear that something was afoot.  It turns out that the train had collided with a car which someone had inadvertantly left on the track (true, and I have the evidence!).  It took hours to clear the mess and continue with our journey.

At Chumphon was a long boat (looked very much like one of those canal barges in Amsterdam) which was to take us to Koh Tao. However, the seas were too rough and after about an hour the boat turned around and headed back to shore.  It was going to prove a long day.

We (finally) got back in a bus, which drove us south to Surat Thani where there was a (more robust) ferry which could better handle the inclement seas.  It took us to Koh Samui, where we were forced to stay for a few days and wait for the seas to calm. It took 3 or 4 days before the boats started sailing north again and we boarded one of two boats heading to Koh Tao.  The seas were still enormous and I have to admit to being scared. The normal 45 minute crossing took nearly 6 hours. I won't go into too much detail... but you can imagine.

We spent the 3 weeks on Koh Tao, in a small hotel (possibly being kind to call it a hotel) on the beach. It was a fabulous time. We dived (Charl finished her PADI on Christmas Eve) and ate fish (trevally) caught and landed each day and cooked in a makeshift restaurant on the beach. Still the best fish I have ever eaten.

It was December 28th. Char and Soph were diving on a reef near Shark Island. I decided to stay in the boat. Charl's group surfaced early and she decided to get back on the boat and join me in the sun. Completely unplanned, I asked her to marry me. She said yes. The rest of the trip was a blur and apart from spending New Year's eve in a train back to Bangkok, the next I remember was arriving back in the UK to start the next chapter of our lives together.

It was very tough getting to Koh Tao and the rewards were worth the effort.